Do Materialists Prefer the “Brand-as-Servant”? The Interactive Effect of Anthropomorphized Brand Roles and Materialism on Consumer Responses

Although considerable attention has been paid to the “brand-as-partner, ” the cur-rent research shows that the “brand-as-servant ” is embraced by consumers whose value system facilitates a master-servant relationship in the quasi-social experi-ences provided by brand anthropomorphism. Four studies evince that differences in hierarchical structure inherent in brands working with (i.e., partner brands) ver-sus working for (i.e., servant brands) consumers engender materialism to play a systematic role in determining consumer responses to being an equal partner ver-sus dominating master in consumer-brand relationships. In particular, materialists respond more favorably to a servant brand than to a partner brand when the brand is anthropomorphized (vs. objectified), and they respond more favorably to an an-thropomorphized servant brand than do nonmaterialists. This effect is actualized through traits of materialists, moderated by brand status and mediated by an acti-vated desire to dominate the servant brand. This finding shows that partnership may not be the only meaningful relationship that consumers form with their brands.